Koi No Yokan
by Emmizu
Summary: "If you're feeling it, experience it. Just know it's all okay. Everything that you're feeling, the conflict, the nerves. It's all human, and it's all supposed to happen." Raven paused gathering his words and weighing their meaning. "Is it just that simple?" She asked. "I'd like to think so, don't you?" AU.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Damn it all. _

_Chapter 1: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing_

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"Mister Wilson! Is it true that you experiment on humans?"

"Are you really planning on introducing a new species of 'metahumans' into our society?"

"Mister Wilson, what do you want to prove by mutating ordinary adolescents into these 'metahuman' creations?"

"How did you get permission in order to conduct these experiments?"

"Who's funding these projects?"

Nicholas Galtry took to the podium clearing his throat as Slade Wilson stepped aside allowing his partner control of the press conference. He waited with baited breath for the reporters to quiet down before addressing them. "We thank the community of Jump City for being so interested in our affairs! As my partner and I have stated so many times before through emails, phone calls, the media…" Gazing around, he studied each face taking in their looks of wonderment. "Our research takes a lot of our time and efforts so it's easy to lose track of time. We want to thank you for your patience and we hope you continue supporting us. As promised, here is a little view of what we have discovered so far with your generous donations! On behalf of all of our hard work, and the people who help every day with our research, we would like to present one of our many projects: Kole!"

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Raven shut off the TV disgusted at the sight and the revulsion of how the damned city could willingly donate or show any interest in that company. Testing on children and for what? Oh that's right to eradicate disease, to better the human immune system. To make it better and stronger so humans couldn't be taken out by tiny, feeble microorganisms.

How many kids had died in their labs? How many were abused, poked and prodded every day or every hour? How did Jump City think this was okay? None of it was remotely tolerable. Damn the Wilson Enterprises & Co. She stood from the couch tossing the pillow from her lap. Her hands were sweaty, and she felt jittery.

"Friend, are you the alright?"

"Just saw that lovely press conference all over the TV," Raven replied dryly.

Kori eyed the girl confusion written all over her face. "What press conference?" Dick moved around her and cut in, "That one where the city pretty much says they support human experimenting." Kori frowned touching her lips thoughtfully.

"So I'm guessing you were watching it too," Raven wanted to debate and usually Dick was worked up enough to do it. She paced in the kitchen too irritated to get ready for class.

Dick grunted opening the fridge intent on making his and Kori's lunches. "Yeah let's just say I could only get through the first sentence of Galtry's speech." Spreading mayo on his sandwich, he moved onto Kori's meal next. "He's just lucky that he can sweet talk any one in a five mile radius."

Leaning against the counter next to Dick, Raven couldn't help but rub at her temples. "It just blows my mind that people actually believe that they're doing these experiments to make our bodies better and stronger." She responded putting air quotes around the words: _better and stronger_.

The fridge door slammed shut, and Dick placed the finished meals in his backpack. "I swear people are just too trusting these days."

"Friends, please let us not talk of this anymore. It is making the both of you very angry." Kori stepped into the kitchen grabbing a hold of Dick's shoulder. His hand covered her's almost immediately.

"Sorry. We'll save it for later."

Kori smiled at the promise. "Oh pleasant news, let us get going shall we?" She asked offering a hand out to Raven.

Rolling her eyes, Raven grasped onto it letting herself be forced back to her room to finish getting ready.

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Loud banging crashed against his door waking him from his slumber. He sat still waiting for the person to go away. He wouldn't go. No way in hell was he going through with whatever they had planned for the day.

"Greg!* Get out here this instant, you retched little animal!"

"Nah, I figured I'd just nap for now considering all the exciting things happening today," he countered swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and stood.

1…2…3…

The door unlocking stilled his movement. Here it comes.

Galtry's face was bright red, but he composed himself for a few moments. "If you were so content in staying in bed, why are you up?"

He could see the sweat form between his furrowed brows.

"What? Not going to answer now that we're face to face? Where's all that confidence?" Galtry sneered stalking forward and grabbed a collar from his belt. "You just don't want to be punished do you?" Clicking the collar into place, he grabbed the boy by his shirt and dragged him out of the room. "Unfortunately, you have no choice in the matter."

Did he ever?

After a few minutes of walking down endless hallways and corridors they finally reached their destination. The laboratory room door slid open beckoning them through. Bustling scientists moved about the room collecting papers, typing on tablets, measuring liquids and talking among themselves. The door closed shut catching their attention, all eyes on them.

"Ah, busy as usual," Galtry stated moving through the chaos eventually making his way to a tall, blond standing near the observing window. He patted him on the back in greeting, and pointed below.

"Garfield, are you prepared today?" Someone asked, resting their hand on his shoulder.

The boy in question regarded Slade silently. The man glanced down at him waiting for an answer. "You're testing that mutated gene today aren't you?"

Slade moved his hand from Garfield's shoulder to his neck, gripping it. A move that riled his inner beasts, it was meant to show dominance, and yet it also answered his question. Slade removed his hand soon after and spoke to a scientist called Barbara.

"Get him ready, and grab our guest please." She nodded with excitement and adjusted her glasses. Garfield followed the short and stubby scientist studying her physique. Escaping from her would be easy since she probably never worked out a day in her life. Then there was the issue of a stabilizing collar around his neck.

They stepped into the elevator while Barbara tossed skintight black pants and a long sleeved shirt into his awaiting arms. He changed just in time tossing his other clothes to the ground as the elevator doors reopened, and stepped through. Flexing his fingers, he studied the small area where Barbara would take residence and watch his every move, documenting everything little detail of what was to come.

He had no idea what to expect nor did he want to. Better to be surprised right?

"Are you nervous?" Barbara inquired switching on her equipment. Machines roared to life, buttons colored the room and computer screens bursted awake.

"Should I be?"

She turned adjusting her glasses again. The twinkle in her eyes was answer enough. Pressing a yellow button next to the door, she spoke into it with coded words. A response came shortly after. She spun back around and stepped up to remove the collar. "You won't need this," she stated placing it on a hook next to the door. "It'll just get in the way."

His heart pounded in his ears as he studied the door which led to the arena where up above Galtry, Slade, Jericho and the rest of their team would be watching. What the hell did they have planned to test this mutated gene? Running his hands through his grassy hair, Garfield struggled to breath. Damn it all.

That's when he heard it. A roar that sounded eerily close to the very thing he feared of becoming. Garfield whipped his head to Barbara.

"You didn't," he whispered eyes widening as she beamed. "How could you-"

"They wanted a rousing test. Well here it is." She turned his attention to the door waving him to it. "Just for you… make them proud."

An automated voice counted down giving only 15 seconds to walk through. They wanted a show, and these scientists were crazy enough to go to the lengths to give it to them. Garfield silently prayed to anyone listening. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but deep down he could feel _it_ thrashing.

This was his territory. His domain and _it_ would go to great heights to maintain his rights over what he possessed. His skin crawled with excitement and energy.

6…5…4…3…

His hand rested on the button not daring enough to push it just yet. Those claws at the end of his fingers were going to rip into someone. Someone, who he hoped, he didn't know. Please let it be a blank face, or a robot. Just don't be a human experiment gone wrong.

2…1…0…

The next thing Garfield knew, Barbara had pushed the button. She shoved him through and hastily shut the door afterwards. He couldn't look up. Dear god, he couldn't.

Trembling at the mere smell of the intruder was already breaking his will. It was just like him. Not the same color, stature or smell. But it was once a human.

Garfield counted in his head, whispered a lullaby… anything to keep himself focused. They were watching- no hoping for a good show. Not yet don't look up. But he could already feel it sniffing at his head and shoulders. Saliva dripped from its fangs- dropping onto his clothes and skin. It growled pressing its shoulder into his. It was begging for a fight, and it would at any sign of movement or protest.

Not yet don't look up.

Eye contact would definitely set it off. It was a sign of dominance. Just like the cold gloved hand that belonged to Slade as it would rest on his shoulder or grip his neck.

The beast knocked him belly first to the ground and pressed its fangs against his back and neck- using enough pressure to threaten bloodshed. Garfield muffled the sharp pain, and chose to stay still. Peeking up at the window above the arena, he could make out their forms. By their posture, they were ready to throttle him for not responding especially Galtry.

Just last a little bit longer. Prove that you're in control not them.

His head throbbed, his chest felt tight, and he had no idea how much longer he could hold_ it_ back. The beast rolled him onto his back pressing its weight upon him. Finally, Garfield closed his eyes letting loose his inner beast.

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"Yo Raven!"

She turned at the sound of her name cursing under her breath. "Yes Victor?"

He came to a stop shifting his backpack to his other shoulder. The hum of his prosthetic arm as it moved his backpack distracted her for a moment. Her eyes trailed from his right arm to his two prosthetic legs. As if sensing her interest, Victor modeled them off for her.

"Like what you see, eh?"

Raven frowned flashing him a disapproving look. "Your father has put in quite the work with those things."

Victor blanched. "Hey! He wasn't the only one who worked on this!" He pounded his chest looking quite smug. "I came up with most of the interior and exterior designs."

A small smile tugged at her lips as she crossed her arms. "Right and they look very cool. I'm very impressed that's all."

"Why thank you little lady. I approve of your compliment." He was quick to pat her on the shoulder. "Now let me guess you're going to check out the little protest going on over there," he stated pointing in the building's general direction. "You gonna join em'?"

Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Right," she huffed. "You know me I just love myself a good protest."

Victor laughed jostling her shoulder. "I just know you so well."

"I'll have to work on that." She quickly changed the subject intending to end their banter. "Will you be working again tonight?"

His shoulders slumped. "Oh yeah, gotta love my work hours. I'm just glad I get to miss Kori's cooking tonight."

"You're pretty lucky, but I'm sure Dick will step in and save the day," she mused gazing pointedly over his shoulder. "Well my class it going to be starting in an hour and I haven't studied for our test yet." She gave Victor a polite smile and waved him off.

Making sure he was a safe distance away, Raven turned towards the university's main gates. It would only take twenty minutes to get to Wilson Enterprises & Co. In fact, she felt inclined to go but couldn't think of a reason as to why. It was like a magnetic pull, and it all started this morning after watching their stupid press conference. Some part of her wanted to watch the rest of it just to see them boost their latest project.

She was curious, and it disgusted her.

The light turned green allowing Raven and the other pedestrians to stroll across the street. She grabbed onto her hood, pulling it up and over her head. It was a stupid habit. Being in pubic always made her skin crawl with uneasiness- like she didn't belong in her own skin. Having friends helped tremendously. They made her feel comfortable and needed.

Without realizing it, Raven made it to her destination. The sounds of the protesters carried over to her ears, and she watched them parade around with their signs. There were about twenty people, some young and some old- their energy igniting the air.

A noise from the alleyway snapped her out of her trance, and she pivoted towards it. Curiosity gnawed at her bones willing her to move as a hooded figure staggered into view.

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Garfield dislodged the figure's body from his hand, shooting away from the grisly scene. Head to toe, he was covered in blood. It felt sticky and heavy against his skin. Collapsing to his hands and knees, the ground blurred and faded. He was going to be sick.

A few moments later, he heaved all over the ground. Dabbing at his mouth, he used of the sleeve of his forearm to wipe the mess away. Feeling nauseous again, more puke joined the rest.

"My, my I'm very impressed." Slade clutched onto Garfield's hair lifting his head. "Such power and prowess. Good thing we recorded this for later viewing."

Garfield sniffed rubbing at his mouth again and swatted his hand away. Casting a quick glance at the bloodied carcass, he took to his feet stumbling to the exit. Slade made no move to restrain him.

The scent finally made sense about halfway through their fight. It belonged to Adonis, a steroid junkie who desired more than average human power and muscles. They took the runaway in promising everything but not intent of giving any at all- poor soul.

Garfield tripped over his own feet, but was caught by another person. Jericho wrapped one arm around his waist and smiled feebly. His blond curls bounced with impact. With one hand he signed, 'Are you okay?'

Garfield scoffed, face scrunching. "Peachy let me go." The world was beginning to swirl and run like wet paint. Not to mention the smell of copper and iron was really digging under his skin. Jericho respected his request holding up both hands in defeat. Garfield glanced at the blond's neck and punched the yellow button. The doors slid open revealing Barbara typing furiously on a computer paying no attention to his presence.

Rolling his eyes, Garfield marched through the room and to the elevator compartment. He tapped his foot waiting to exit. Much to his dismay once the doors opened, Galtry was waiting for him in the hallway. Flashing a wad of bills, the man pushed off the wall.

"Care to grab a pick me up," he asked leering at his blood soaked clothes. "Of course, you should probably clean up. I don't want you to scare the sellers away."

Garfield held out his hand almost snarling at the request. "Whatever, I need a break." The wad of bills pressed into his hand. It was relatively heavier than last time. Lifting a brow, he observed Galtry. "How much this time?"

Galtry took interest in his watch, and flashed a sickening smile. "Double this time. Make it quick though. I'm on edge." His hands shook showing signs of withdrawal. "Well get going! I don't have all day, Greg!"

Garfield nodded pressing his lips into a firm line. Once in his room, he stripped out of his soiled clothes, cleaned his face and hair, and dressed in a clean set. His clothes were special. It allowed him to shift without showing back up in his birthday suit- it had happened before much to his chagrin. This time however, he made sure to add a pair of gloves, goggles, a handkerchief around his neck, and a hooded jacket.

The money was shoved into a pocket, and he grabbed his phone making sure to keep it on vibrate. One last lingering gaze at the bloodied clothes sent a thrilling yet unsettling feeling through his body. A howling laugh echoed in his ears and he slammed the door shut.

"Garfield, I heard what happened. Is everything okay?"

"It's never going to be okay," he answered leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. His hands dove deep into his jacket pockets. Meanwhile, her hand touched his shoulder providing comfort.

"You need to talk about it."

"I can't talk about it with you."

"Why not," she probed temper flaring.

Garfield dropped his gaze to her simmering navy eyes. "I've done enough," he replied brushing past her and ending their conversation. "I have an errand to run. I'll be back."

"I forgave you a long time ago. Don't you think you should do the same?"

Looking over his shoulder, he lifted his goggles pinning her to her spot. "It'll be a long time before that, Kole. Go back to your room."

No other protests came so Garfield took his leave. Climbing down a few flight of stairs, he finally made it to the exit that opened to 'Mansfield Alley' as they called it. He paused at the door adjusting his disguise. Another tidal wave of emotions crashed into him. Nausea mixed with anxiety rocked his nerves. He needed to calm down. Protesters wouldn't be out in the alleyway. It was a safe zone. No one would even see him.

Garfield swallowed, and banged his fist against the door.

Everything was going to be okay. No one would see him.

Opening the door, he stumbled over his feet again cursing at his inability to walk. Garfield couldn't help the images gnawing at his head. One last howl, one last breath and Adonis was dead- impaled straight through the chest. He shook his head.

His body connected with another. Out of reflex, he reached out stopping the other person's fall. "Gah sorry I didn't see ya there, dude…." All thoughts vanished from his brain. Why was a girl wandering down this dead-end alley?

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Raven did not see this coming. No, she couldn't predict the future or anything like that, but she didn't think this imbecile would blatantly ignore and crash into her. Wrenching her wrist free from his grip, she glared.

"What are you deaf?"

The man held up his hands stuttering. Why was he wearing gloves?

"How about next time you pay attention, alright?"

He gave a thumbs up and moved to leave- regaining his poise. Raven eyed the stranger as he passed noticing underneath the hood, he wore a pair of goggles and a handkerchief that covered all of his face. She turned her attention to the door that he came out of. Something wasn't sitting well with this.

Turning on her heels, Raven sprinted up behind him and, with all her courage, snatched onto the back of his jacket. He jerked back, losing his footing once again, and crashed onto his butt.

"What the hell," he blurted catching his bearings.

Before he could protest even louder, Raven tugged his hood back. She froze at the sight. Forest green hair swept up at the front along with kiwi green skin greeted her eyes. His ears were pinched at the top like an elf and even though she couldn't exactly see all of him- she was mesmerized and her heart began to race.

Was this one of their experiments they were working on?

Unexpectedly, the green man bolted and ripped out of view- adjusting his hood and jacket as he fled. Raven made no attempt to follow. She had an inkling that this wasn't going to be the last time they saw eachother. In fact, Raven was going to make sure of it.

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*Greg- In the comic books, it's noted that Nicholas Galtry called Garfield by the name 'Craig' but I used my wordy powers of fanfiction to make it Greg. A) because it's close to his real name & B) because it sounded and felt better- so there.

*Koi No Yokan- _Premonition of Love_; the sense one can have upon first meeting another person that the two of them are going to fall in love. This differs from the idea of 'love of first sight' in that it does not imply that the feeling of love exists, rather it refers to the knowledge that a future love is inevitable.

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_My absence of this site was not intended, but it happened and I don't regret a thing. I like to think I've grown a lot, along with my writing- hopefully for the better. I dropped out of a few fandoms and delved into others. Hence my writer's block being fully thrashed. I run a drabble blog on Tumblr, and I have to say it's the best thing I have ever done! I don't have to be committed to one single storyline and I feel comfortable about writing anything and everything that pops into my head. (It's a breath of fresh air.) _

_So cheers to new stories and hopefully better writing. I have most of this story planned out along with a sequel- dear god. I would also like to extend out a 'help me' sign because I don't trust myself to find all of my mistakes or to get myself out of a rut, so if anyone would like to be a 'beta reader' for me then please get a hold of me either on my Tumblr or on here. It would be immensely appreciated._

_Also another side note, I updated my profile. There you can find future stories I have planned after this one is finished. I want to work on one story at a time so don't expect the others any time soon. I update when I can or when I have the drive, so my updates can be fast or slow. It honestly depends on my personal life, work schedule, and especially my university work. _

_Until next time review below if you like._


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Child's Play_

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Over the next few days, Raven spent most of her free time in the University's library. Whether it was leafing through old newspaper articles or skimming the internet, she was bound and determined to dig up any morsel of information on Wilson Enterprises & Co.

Starting with Slade Wilson, she asked one of the librarians to help her with the search. The old woman gave her an odd look but complied with her request. She pointed her in a few directions and Raven spent the next two days digging up any information that would calm her pounding head. The usual things – where he was born, where he graduated from, how many wives and how many children – were pretty easy to find. But she needed more than that and, unfortunately, the basic info was all she could really scrounge up.

Joseph and Rose Wilson were his children. He graduated from Gotham State University with a master's degree in business and medical sciences. He went on to marry his college sweetheart, who ended up dying at a young age due to a gun accident- not much was revealed in the article regarding his wife's death other than it was ruled an accident. A few months after her funeral, he relocated to Jump City and started working on his lifelong dream of studying the human body along with mutated genetics.

The road to creating Wilson Enterprises & Co wasn't a smooth ride. The public hated the idea of human experimenting. It was unethical and disgusting, but Mr. Wilson had a way with words. It took a whole decade of convincing before the mayor of Jump City donated a fully functioning building and the equipment needed for the necessary investigations. In return for the prize, the mayor kept a close eye on the facility for the next two years making sure they followed all policies and procedures within their experiments. Only recently, in the last few years, did the mayor seemingly 'forget' to check up on them.

But by then it was too late. Children and teens were somehow involved along with their parents' consent. Obviously the parents were paid a pretty hefty amount for participating in their scientific research. While the children's' voices were silent, lawsuits and protests slammed against the company almost diminished their reputation. Finally, it was Galtry to the rescue. If Slade Wilson had a way with words then Nicholas Galtry could write poetry for the faint hearted. Using every loop hole in the book, Galtry was able to defeat every lawsuit and ultimately give Wilson Enterprises & Co the very privacy they needed to continue on. A secret contract was signed between the city and company creating a dangerous line of tension between the two. No one knew what was stated except the mayor, Slade Wilson and Nicholas Galtry.

So in conclusion, most of the information she managed to discover was basic and housed a lot of holes in their stories. It was frustrating beyond belief for Raven. The more she researched- the less it began to make sense or connect. She decided that maybe Galtry's past would unravel more to the story.

Nicholas Galtry was an attorney to a very wealthy estate that belonged to the Logan's. Mark and Marie Logan along with their son, Garfield, traveled through the world's jungles. For their travels, they were geneticists- who studied wildlife in places such as: Brazil, India and Africa. Tragedy stuck one awful day in Upper Lamumba, and the couple died in a boating accident leaving their only son an orphan. Shortly after the accident, Galtry adopted Garfield and relocated him to Jump City.

Raven scoured the internet for current pictures of the boy, but only found pictures of his younger years. In the past, he had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and relatively tan skin. So she could safely assume that he was pretty handsome nowadays.

If she had to assume that is.

A few facts caught Raven completely off guard about Nicholas Galtry. He never married nor had children, but he had a criminal history. Drug charges, along with embezzlement charges, marred his record. As she dug a little deeper, she found that the embezzlement charges were dropped. Supposedly, the embezzlement case involved the Logan's estate and their son but not much was stated as to why Galtry was charged or how the case was dropped. She had a hunch it had to do with Galtry's talent with words. Alas, her search with Mr. Galtry came to a sudden end as well.

Was it really so hard to find information on these two men?

Everything was just too vague for her liking and it was driving her up a wall, theoretically of course.

Raven grumbled and pushed a stack of newspapers out of her sight. Gazing up at the clock, she realized the library would be closing in ten minutes so she began packing up her things. Maybe a couple days away from this stuffy, old place would do some good for her brain. Heading for the exit, Raven stopped by the librarian's desk and thanked her for her help. The woman welcomed her and waved her off.

Cold, night air breezed across her exposed skin as she exited. She shoved on her jacket and covered her face with her hood. Fall weather was definitely not her favorite. Shuffling across campus, Raven kept an eye out for any creepers in the shadows.

She checked her phone realizing that both Dick and Kori had texted or called her. She sent a quick text to Kori letting her know that she was on her way home. Approaching the bus stop, Raven gazed off allowing herself to think about the green boy.

Her heart pounded in her head as a very vivid image of him popped into her mind. Forest green hair swept up at the front along with kiwi green skin. The view of him only lasted for a few precious moments before he regained his composure and shot out of sight. He moved fast like a cheetah. If that was even possible. How fast could those big cats go? Something like 35 miles per hour? She couldn't remember. There was also the expression of dread that melted across his features which haunted her thoughts as well. She shook her head snapping to attention as the bus pulled up.

She had been dying to go back. Just to get another peek. But how could she do it? Stalk the alleyway and wait for him? It was a stupid idea and yet she had to admit she was drawn to it.

No, no. It was stupid, right? He would never let himself get caught so easily again. He would tread carefully now if he hadn't done so before.

Flashing her bus pass to the driver, Raven strolled down the aisle and chose a seat with a window. She inserted her earbuds to select a song off her iphone. Placing her backpack in the seat next to her, she noticed someone was settled behind her through the crack of the seats.

The person seemed familiar. He wore a handkerchief and a pair of goggles to obscure their face… almost like the boy from before. Her eyes bore into the shadows of their hood searching its depths. A few moments later, the bus pulled to a stop again and the person stood keeping their face concealed.

Curiously, Raven examined him as he moved. Something wasn't sitting right with this. Was he trembling? Stepping down the first stair, the figure paused. Finally, he turned to match her gaze. Her heart jumped into her throat and she choked for words. She must have been dreaming. Please wake up! A faint color of green peeked out of the shadows as a streetlight from outside shined down on him. Then, in a blink of an eye, he was gone… again.

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Garfield stepped off the bus. His heart pounded against his chest and adrenaline pumped through his veins. This was not possible. Yes, he couldn't see her face but it was her scent. The scent of flowers mixed with old paper and ink. The flower part was a mix of jasmine with an undertone of vanilla and the old paper reminded him of a library. Kind of a weird mixture but it somehow worked.

If he would have known they would meet again, he would have sprinted for the hills. That girl knew exactly who he was. She watched his every move as he exited the bus. In the last moment, Garfield turned to meet her gaze. The way her eyes widened in realization and how her mouth gaped open was enough to send him reeling. Watching the bus pull away from the curb, he made sure she didn't follow or watch from the bus windows.

Thank god she didn't. Relief poured over his body.

Suffocating his thoughts, Garfield ambled down the sidewalk eyeing the street signs. He needed to find Arrowleaf Street as fast as possible. Three streets down, he hit the jackpot. Now all he needed to do was find the correct house. Pulling a folded piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, Garfield read off the address again.

Just need to find 1126 Arrowleaf Street then he could go back and pretend nothing ever happened. Yep, just as easy as that… no big deal at all. Easy as pie.

Who was he kidding?

He swore off this business a long time ago.

Now he was here again.

Garfield observed the desired house from across the street. People were still up and roaming around. A couple lights were on in a few rooms so he checked his phone for the time. They would be putting her to bed soon and once they were asleep- he would strike.

By midnight all was quiet within the house. He shifted into a garter snake and whipped across the street. Next, to crawl through the small animal door, he shifted into an American shorthair cat. Pretty nice entryway for a family of three. Rubbing his cheek along the entryway, he picked up on her scent.

He padded up the stairs and froze as another cat, a female Siamese, brushed against him. She meowed and moved down the stairs casting another glance at the intruder. His nose twitched as the Siamese stared him down. Finding the male cat unappealing with her time, she disappeared. Garfield was quick to follow the girl's scent trail again. It led him right to her bedroom which happened to be right next to her parent's room.

Great another thing to worry about.

Opening the door to the parent's room, Garfield morphed back into his human form. Fortunately, they were sound asleep. The husband was snoring up a storm but it seemed the wife didn't mind or she was just a deep sleeper. Drawing the door closed again, he crept to the girl's room.

It clicked open. A nightlight next to him changed from blue to green and he dragged it from its socket. Depositing it to the ground, Garfield shut the door and tiptoed closer to her bed- sniffing at the surrounding air.

This was definitely her.

He checked over his shoulder listening for any noise outside. No sound presented itself so he got comfortable at the edge of her bed watching for any sign that she would awaken. The sound of creaking wood resonated from the corner of the room and he snapped to attention.

"Who are you?" A sleepy voiced called out.

Goosebumps erupted across his skin as Garfield turned his gaze to her. That was fast. Her short blonde hair was tied up in two low pigtails and her blue eyes glimmered with curiosity. She eyed at something over his shoulder.

"I came here to talk."

The small girl yawned. "What do you want?"

"I came to talk about your wonderful gift, Melvin."

Her eyes widened at her name and she clutched at the bear in her arms. Pulling the covers over her chest, Melvin scooted lower into her bed.

"Hey, it's okay. Like I said I'm just here to ask you something." Garfield moved further up her bed and lightly touched her head. Another creak came from behind but he chose to ignore. It was an old house. Old houses were supposed to be creaky. His hand smoothed the stray kinks of her hair and she peeked up at him.

"Bobby saw you from across the street earlier," she muttered looking across the room again. "You were waiting til we were asleep so Bobby stayed up to protect me."

His brow rose at the comment and he dropped his hand watching her eyes glisten with unshed tears. "Don't cry I won't hurt you, promise." God he was rusty with this. How long had it been? Like three years at the most?

"Even if you did… Bobby would take care of you."

Garfield sheepishly smiled beneath his handkerchief and took to rubbing at her hair again- messing it up even more. "I guess I wouldn't put it past him, right? He's your friend and protector. He's here isn't he?" He gazed around the room and sniffed as she giggled.

Then Melvin tugged at his sleeve catching his attention again. "He's really good at hide and seek. He won't be found unless he wants to be."

Catching her drift, he stopped looking. "Your powers are amazing, Melly."

"Melly?"

Garfield lowered his hood and removed his handkerchief and goggles. "Do you mind if I call you that? I thought it would be cute." He placed his items on her bed and playfully tugged her nose as her face colored.

"S-sure," she stuttered fidgeting with her bear. "Why are you green?"

He forced a smile and rubbed at his neck. "I have powers too."

Melvin was amazed and her eyes sparkled- fully awake.

"Wanna see?"

"Yes," she pleaded.

Holding a finger to his lips, he shushed her and listened for any noises. Melvin covered her mouth and waited oh so patiently for his display. Turning back towards the girl, Garfield asked her another question.

"What's one of your favorite animals?"

Without missing a beat she answered, "Tigers."

In a second, what was once a strapping young teen, morphed into a green tiger cub. Melvin screeched but quickly covered her outburst with her hand. The cub's ears flicked and it slinked closer purring all the way. Timidly, she reached out to touch its fur.

In response, the cub's back moved up to meet her hand. The tight grip on her bear melted and she crawled out from beneath her covers- forgetting it all together. She rubbed her face against the animal and it licked at her cheek as she giggled in response.

The cub collapsed on its side and stretched waiting for more attention. She scratched his tummy and listened to him purr. Leaning forward, Melvin kissed his snout a few times before nuzzling at the cub's neck. Licking at her forehead, the cub's tail flicked back and forth- sweeping against her cheek and neck.

After a few moments of cuddling, Melvin leaned back and spoke, "Change back."

On command the tiger cub shifted back into the green teen. "Well what do you think," he asked while he scooted forward to sit on the edge of her bed again.

"It's so cool!" She wiggled in her seat but stopped when the pair of yellow goggles bumped into her knee. Grasping onto them, she placed them up into the air and lined them up perfectly to meet over Garfield's eyes. "You're good at hide n' seek too, aren't you?" She frowned and lowered the goggles into her lap playing with the strap.

The question rattled his nerves. "What do you mean?"

The strap snapped as she pulled it back and let it go. "You cover up your green… kind of like hide n' seek."

Garfield sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "It's not easy being green I guess."

"I like the color green," she replied snapping the strap again.

"I like it, too. I also like the color purple."

Melvin placed the goggles beside her. Then climbing to her feet, she edged closer reaching out with her small hands. Garfield froze as her fingers combed through his hair. Upon further inspection, Melvin stumbled across an elfish ear. She traced the shape up to the pinched top and jumped back as it flicked under her touch. Her eyes snapped to his face and she giggled at his embarrassment.

"You're ticklish," she teased touching his ear again. It flicked without hesitation and he shuddered. Another creak sounded through the room and Melvin gazed up at their new friend. "Isn't it cool, Bobby?"

The hairs on the back of Garfield's neck stood on end at the new company. How had he not noticed _that_? A plush object pushed through his hair and he struggled to breath. From the corner of his eye, an outline of a ginormous and feral looking teddy bear loomed over the pair. Its grin widened, showing off its sharp teeth, as his other ear flicked at the teddy bear's touch.

"Bobby likes your green, too!"

"R-right… N-nice to meet you, Bobby." Garfield stuttered finally rotating his head to study the wicked teddy bear. Was her imagination that powerful? Not to mention twisted? That thing was not cute or fuzzy-wuzzy like the one she had rested with in her arms. Bobby rumbled a hello before taking a seat on the floor in front of them. The tumble of his decent rattled the room.

Well he wasn't exactly planning on another guest. So he'd have to make due for now.

"You're here for something, aren't you?"

Taking his attention off the bear, Garfield turned back to Melvin. Come on, brain, _think_ of something decent to say. An imaginary knife stabbed deep into his abdomen as he regarded the girl.

"Have you ever thought of being a superhero?"

The sparkle in her eyes reappeared and she grinned. "I dream about it all the time."

He nodded feeling the same knife twist. "I could make that dream a reality."

"Really?" Melvin exchanged a glance with Bobby before reaching out to touch Garfield again. A blank expression blanketed her face as she brushed through his green locks. "What about Bobby and my parents?"

"Bobby can come with you," he said trying to compose the tormenting guilt that began to rot in his gut. Why had he agreed to pick up these assignments again? This was a mistake. A huge, devastating, colossal mistake.

"And my parents," Melvin hedged, dropping her hands to her sides. She steadied her gaze on Bobby waiting for an answer.

With another twist of the knife, Garfield grasped onto her petite shoulders. Stirred from her trance, Melvin gave him her full attention. "Your parents will understand. I'll leave them a note."

Lies.

An empty promise.

"You promise," she questioned.

"Of course, you can trust me." The knife couldn't dig any deeper. Garfield brushed her hands away from his head and stood from the bed. Bobby cocked his head to the side as the teen turned on his heels and offered his hand to Melvin. "So are you ready?"

He needed to get this done as fast as possible. Her parents were beginning to stir in the room next door. Melvin watched his outstretched hand.

"Don't you want to help people, Melly? Don't you want to become someone like… me?" His voice cracked at the end and she flinched at the sound.

"Of course," she all but whispered.

He grinned wiggling his ears to lighten the mood. Melvin giggled muffling the noise into the crook of her arm. As if the atmosphere in the room suddenly lifted, she finally grasped onto his hand allowing him to pick her up. Resting her against his hip like a baby, Garfield collected his forgotten items. The goggles rested around his neck while he stuffed his handkerchief into his jacket pocket.

Bobby rose to his feet growling and grumbling as he watched the scene unfold. Garfield pulled his hood back over his face. Turning around, he ushered for Bobby to follow as he made his way to the door.

His initial plan wouldn't work now because a gruesome and freakishly large teddy bear was not going to squeeze out a secondary window. Melvin shifted on his hip and wrapped her arms around his neck to look over his shoulder at her beloved bear.

They crept into the hallway shutting the door behind them as Bobby squeezed through the frame. Checking the room next door, Garfield concluded it wouldn't be long until one of her parents would awaken. There was a lot of shifting going on and he didn't want to risk getting caught red-handed.

They took their time descending down the stairs because Bobby's weight made the hardwood floors creak and moan under him, and so Garfield could monitor for any sound of motion from the room above. The Siamese cat greeted them at the door and saw their way out as the group slipped out the front door. Following them out the small cat door, she splayed across the first step watching as her tail flicked in the air.

Adjusting Melvin on his hip, Garfield turned to make sure Bobby was keeping up, satisfied with what he saw; he couldn't help but return the cat's stare. She meowed swiping her tail in a circle. A light flicked on from the second floor and shadows began to move through the room. He felt glued to his spot as he watched her room flick on next. He could only imagine the chaos and panic erupting through the house when they realized the room was now empty.

Melvin had long fallen asleep against his shoulder and he realized that Bobby was shuffling behind them. The bear grumbled and growled shooting fleeting glances at the house. Time to move on before the screams of bloody murder would wake the whole neighborhood.

"Come on," he mumbled to the bear casting one last lingering look on the cat. Her piercing stare followed their receding forms and she gave one last meow before slinking back into the house.

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"Breaking news this morning, as an Amber Alert has sounded for the safe return of Melvin Richardson. She disappeared last night around one o' clock this morning. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. And she was last seen in her purple pajamas. Her parents are begging for any help or information from the public. If you have any clues, please call the phone number below. Again, an Amber Alert is in place for the little girl pictured on this screen. Let's bring her safely home, folks."

Raven lowered the volume on the TV feeling sick to her stomach. It was starting again. Children were disappearing without a single trace. How long had it been since the last string of kidnappings in Jump City? Three or four years ago now? She stood from the couch and walked to the balcony- sliding the glass door aside. Only a few streets away, some little girl had been stolen and who knew when it would end this time.

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_First off, I want to give a ginormous thank you to my wonderful beta, hoozemy! I don't think you will ever understand how much I appreciate your help- you're seriously too kind! :) Anyway, I'm pretty proud with this update. I probably wrote this chapter at least 3 times before I was satisfied. The parts that were hard were from Raven's POV. I already had BB's planned out thoroughly, plus I always find writing from a boy's POV easier than a girl's. (It's weird considering I am a girl.) I also want to take the time to thank the readers for reviewing, and following the story! I know Alternate Universes are a little... scary or not always the best, so I'm going to try my best to make it worth your while. (Hopefully!) Sorry for the rambling, I tend to do that a lot when I get into the author's note ;) Thanks for reading and, if you want, check out my drabble blog on my profile if you're curious. _

_Until next time review below if you like! _


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